C T Online Desk: The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has confiscated large quantities of cooking oil, pulses and sugar allocated by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh from a warehouse in Chattogram.
The elite police unit on Tuesday conducted a raid on the warehouse of Md Rashed, a TCB dealer, in the Cement Crossing area on information that he had been illegally stockpiling goods, according to Lt Col MA Yusuf, commander of RAB-7.
About 2,000 litres of soybean oil, over 1,000 kg of lentils and sugar were found at the warehouse, he said. The law enforcers also found a large quantity of rice but are yet to determine if it had been allocated by the TCB.
“We learned that Rashed used to sell these products to another person. He would also sell two-litre bottles of soybean oil allocated by the TCB in the open market.”
Further details about the raid will be revealed at a media briefing later on Tuesday, he added.
Earlier this month, the Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection launched a campaign to monitor the commodity market as allegations of hoarding surfaced amid a price spiral.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi also vowed to take action against those who tamper with affordably-priced TCB products.
“In the month of Ramadan, the prime minister is providing subsidised food items so that people can buy them at affordable prices. If any unscrupulous trader manipulates the prices of these products, including food stocks, he will receive the maximum punishment,” he had said on Sunday.
